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Rhetra
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Rhetra

ancient Greek law
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The Rhetra is an alleged response from the Delphic oracle to the Spartan lawgiver Lycurgus, dating to around the 9th or 8th century BCE. It is considered a significant, albeit obscure, constitutional document from ancient Greece.1

The Rhetra aimed to define the powers of various Spartan groups and individuals. It stipulated the establishment of a council alongside the kings and mandated regular meetings for the Assembly. A key clause suggested that the people, or damos, would hold power. However, a rider, attributed to later kings, stated that if the people made corrupt choices, the elders and kings could dissolve their decisions.1

While some scholars date the Rhetra to the 7th century BCE as a response to social unrest, others prefer an earlier 8th-century dating, seeing it as a form of political synoecism and an alternative to tyranny.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. ancient Greek civilization - The Rhetra
  2. Rhetian

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